Wire-stretcher.



WITNESSES wfiei 1. F. HILL.

WIRE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8, l9l8.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

ATTORNEY ".5 numu: runs :0. Pnmurnu, wAxnIN F. BILL, OF MAYE'I'TA, KANSAS.

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To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN F. HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mayetta, in the county of Jackson and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wire working, and more especially to wire stretching imple ments; and the object of thesame is to produce a wire stretcher by means of which the workman can take up the initial slack in a long stretch of fence wire and then give the final stretching or tightening to the same and hold it in that position while it is fastened to the post or posts.

This object is carried out by giving the implement the construction herein described and claimed, and reference is made to the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the implement showing it in use, and

Fig. 2 is an edge elevation thereof. 7

Referring by reference numerals to the drawings, the implement consists of a staff or handle 1 having at its front end a head broadly designated by the numeral 2, which head is bent or hooked or laterally curved as shown to the extent of about one-half of a complete circle. All parts of the head should be of metal, whereas of course the staff may be of metal or of other material. On the outside of the curve and at the forward side of the head is a spur 3 for embedding the earth in a manner yetto be described. On what is shown as the upper side of the head and the outer arm thereof in Fig. 1, are several pins or hooks 4, and perhaps there may be an additional pin or hook 5 in the outer end of the head. The inner end of the head may be carriedtransversely past the line of juncture of the handle into whatmight be called a heel 6. The numeral 7 designates. broadly a wire clamp disposed about in line with the heel and connected with the staff or handle by a tie 8 which is preferably a stout piece of wire or possibly a bolt as herein shown. The clamp illustrated herein Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February s, 1918. Serial No. 216,049.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

is seen in F ig. 2 as made of two plates drawn together by a bolt having a wing-nut.

With this construction, the application and use of this improved implement is as follows: Taking hold of the staff or handle, which may be four feet long, the operator sinks the spur 3 in the ground, and on drawing on a long stretch of wire and engaging it with the clamp 7, he can then manipulate the handle to take up the initial slack. This use of the device avoids the accident often experienced when a long stretch is to be taken up by hand, the wire or the barbs therein often cutting the hands and injuring the operator. Having taken up the slack the dished side of the laterally curved head is placed around a post as indicated by the letter F in Fig. 1, and the clamp 7 reset on the wire broadly indicated herein by the letter W. The handle is now moved in the proper direction (upward in Fig. 1) to put tension on the wire, whether the stretch of the wire being worked is long or short. As

the handle swings around the post, the hooks 4 come successively under the wire W, and when thelatter has finally been given the desired tension. the handle is manipulated so that the last hook which has passed the wire is engaged with it; be released, and the operator is free to staplethe wire to the post so as to hold the same applied to it. Then the implement is disconnected and the workman moves along to the nextpost, and so on. If theouter end of thehandle is moved far enough in the direction described, the clamp will be caused to draw up against the heel 6. but said heel is provided with this very end inview. The spur '3 is preferably comparatively thin as best seen in Fig. 2 so that it does not interfere with the swinging of the implement.

The implement may also be used in the nature of a crowbar, or it might be stuck through a roll or reel of netting so that the same could be carried by two men, or rolled along the ground.

What is claimed as new is 1-- V i The herein described wire stretcher com- The handle may now series of hooks upstanding from its outer eanne overlying said heel, the Whole constructed substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

JOHN F. HILL.

Witnesses G. A, BECKER,

BERTHA M. BECKER.

arm and one hook projecting from its outer extremity, at he passing through the handle. and a WIIB clamp carried by said ti and Copies of this eaten; may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, "Washington, D. it. 

